Ask Nick Sullivan: Buttoned Up But Tieless?

I've seen a lot of men wearing dress shirts buttoned all the way to the top with no tie. What or who started this trend? And what's your opinion?

— Dylan MacLean, New York, N.Y.

The buttoned-up, no-tie look of which you speak was popular first in the '80s with pseudo-rebellious arty types who presumably thought that the absent tie was some sort of subtle questioning of the establishment and its codes. It was a look — a uniform in itself — that became associated mostly (though not exclusively) with German architects, Italian industrial designers, English musicians, and American film directors. With regard to the last, David Lynch would seem to be the longest-standing adopter, and I like the look personally.